Discovering my roots with AncestryDNA and AI

Led by a burning curiosity about my heritage, I took the Ancestry.com plunge, despite data privacy concerns and warnings of data used for criminal investigations. Ordering the test through Amazon was seamless, and I carefully navigated the data disclosure options, opting not to use my full name. After a month of anticipation and regular updates, the results arrived.

My Nigerian and strong West African roots come as no surprise but the 1% Jewish sparked intrigue. What's the story there? Matching with maternal and paternal cousins – given the familiar phenomenon of “jackets” in Jamaica - was reassuring. IYKYK.

The "Traits" feature was fascinating. It accurately predicted my unattached earlobes (my husband's are attached, and yes, I can't stop noticing everyone's lobes now!), morning person status, cilantro love, and even "hangryness" (confirmed by my amused husband, who now hopefully understands that my irritability when hungry is biological!).

Connecting with new cousins ignited a rabbit hole of research. Thanks to Ancestry and FamilySearch, I unearthed birth, death, and marriage certificates of maternal relatives, sharing these discoveries with my mother, who learned new names and dates. However, tracing my paternal side proved trickier due to name changes, migration patterns, and limited record-keeping. Affordability remains a barrier, limiting participation in this journey of discovering your roots for many families. Beyond the initial test fee, I subscribed to the World Explorer Membership for an extra dose of international records, realizing that uncovering your roots comes at a cost.?

As a Jamaican descendant of enslaved Africans, much of my lineage and history is lost due to the lack of documentation, further complicated by family separations, hidden secrets, and plantation brutality. While others trace their roots back to the 1600s, I grieve for the gaps in my own story. While puzzle pieces remain missing, I dream of someday connecting with a distant family member across the African continent.

?Thankfully, DNA and AI are filling some of the gaps. FamilySearch's Computer Assisted Indexing (CAI) utilizes AI to index and publish digitized records, while Ancestry's machine learning powers their handwriting recognition technology, transcribing historical records and documents (e.g. newspapers), and making research easier.

?Ways AI is advancing genealogy.

Genealogy research has exploded in popularity, aided by technology advancements that make the process more accessible and efficient. Artificial intelligence plays a significant role in this efficiency, as seen in:

1.??? Record Linkage: AI algorithms connect various data sources to create comprehensive individual profiles, linking birth certificates, marriage licenses, and census data to trace lineages.

2.??? Facial Recognition: This technology matches photos with others in the database, creating visual family trees and identifying unknown ancestors in old photos.

3.??? DNA Analysis: AI analyzes DNA test results to find genetic matches and identify family relationships, uncovering distant cousins, ethnic origins, and even long-lost relatives.

4.??? Translation: AI-powered translation tools break down language barriers, unlocking family history from foreign language documents.

5.??? Predictive Analysis: AI predicts family connections based on existing data, highlighting potential new branches and discoveries.

Source: https://aweekofgenealogy.com/artificial-intelligence-and-genealogy/

Reasons why genealogy is so important?

1.??? Genetic Predispositions: My journey revealed the cause of death of family members, confirming a cancer predisposition on my mother's side.

2.??? Connecting with Relatives: Ancestry reunited an adopted relative with their biological family and connected me with a few new cousins.

3.??? Sense of Identity and Belonging: Learning about my Nigerian connection strengthened my specific bond with the vast and diverse continent of Africa.

4.??? Preserving Family Stories and Traditions: This process unearthed previously unheard stories. Sadly, many African descendants relied on oral history due to disenfranchisement from literacy and written records and so these stories have not passed down.

5.??? Understanding Patterns and Traits: Family history can reveal patterns and traits shared among relatives – like, you guessed it, my husband's attached earlobes!

While I grieve the unknown, I deeply appreciate what I've learned and remain excited for future discoveries as more records are digitized and AI technology advances, filling in more puzzle pieces. Though the slave trade and colonization may forever obscure some truths, I'm eternally grateful for this journey of self-discovery.